Death Note 3
by Shenn2
Summary: A continuation of the infamous anime 'Death Note'. Light comes back to life for reasons unknown, runs into the police, and learns dangerous secrets about death notes. His new life has only one goal, to win the game and live. But what will he do to achieve it? Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Death Note in this book Cover: outbackcities- Copyright 2014 Shenn2
1. Chapter 1: Reborn

**Warning: Contains MASSIVE spoilers. Also, don't bother reading this if you haven't seen Death Note to the very end. You probably won't understand and might not enjoy it.**

_'All humans will, without exception, eventually die' _- Last episode, Intermission, 1st rule

**-Light-**

I lay down. I knew I was going to die. I'd just wished I'd die happy.

_Game over_, I thought to myself. After Ryuk wrote my name down, 40 long seconds passed. And then an unbearable amount of pain hit my chest. I knew I was dying. That this was it. The end. By the time I started seeing L, I wondered why I could see him. Not that it mattered much. I started smiling at seeing myself drenched in my own blood, covered with bullet holes and suffering from a heart attack, and still thinking about L. _It was a good game. _I went limp, everything faded, closed my eyes, and everything went black.

-Ryuk-

"He's dead. I can already sense that I can return to the shinigami realm. It was a good game Light. In fact, it was the best. But all humans will, without exception, eventually die." I turned to leave, but suddenly felt something. Something bad. Evil. It it was getting more powerful. I wanted to leave. I could get blamed if something happens. But something told him to see Light. "He's dead. That's the story." I went back anyway. Just to rid myself of a nagging feeling that something was happening.

"Light. Dead person. You here?" I turned the corner, and saw Light eyes closed in a puddle of blood. I felt his heart and checked his breathing. Nothing. So what was it I was feeling. It was so powerful by now that I found it harder moving. It was as if gravity had tripled. It had gotten stronger the nearer I was to Light.

To prove a point, I stepped further away. It was lighter. Then closer. The opposite.

"What the hell is happening?!" I left to report to the Great God of Death. If only I had stayed longer. I would have witnessed something extremely interesting.

-The Police-

"Where on earth is he?" Mr. Aizawa and Matsuda and two others were looking for Light. They thought he couldn't have gone far, but were proved wrong. "Light must have been pretty determined to get away. Hes moved a lot already."

"Lets just find him first" Matsuda said, and they continued searching.

-Light-

Everything was dark. Everything was cold. There was nothing, empty. _This must be it then. Well, at least I can still think. _I tried moving, but it was pointless. I was lying down on my back, and my eyes were closed. I felt lost. Alone. But at the same time I felt nothing. No happiness. sadness. Lonliness. Anything.

Suddenly, a bright light swarmed around me. It was a warm light and was carrying me upwards. I started feeling my fingers. I could even move them. I tried to open my eyes, but couldn't "What's happening...No way, I can speak!" I was so confused. The light grew, and I felt like I was being forced from a dream. A voice was shouting, screaming to wake up. To run, or they will find me

_Who...Who are you?!_ I thought urgently

The voice got louder and louder. I wanted to scream, to breathe, to live. I gave out a painful scream, and then my eyes snapped open.

"Where am I?" My voice was hoarse, but there. My vision blurred and went in and out of focus. I could hear muffled voices but nothing was clear. My body felt like a punching bag, but never better at the same time. Weak but strong. Dead but alive. I still didn't know where I was. I had no memories. I couldn't even remember my name. Then, bits came flooding back. I remembered my childhood, my background, all of it.

Then I remembered the Death note.

Ryuk.

The game.

The fun.

And I remebered the end.

Faces flashed like a merry-go-round:

L, me, Ryuk, Near, Misa, Rem, L, Ryuk, Near, my father, L, my mother, L, my sister, L, L, L.

Then I remembered the darkness. The feeling of nothing. The way I yearned to live even after death. If this can be called death.

I could move my left foot, both arms, and head. Everything else still felt numb. I looked down. "What the-" I stared at my clothes, covered in blood, at the blood on the floor. Then at the holes in my clothes. But the scars weren't there. It was as if it had never happened. I felt a sudden urge to vomit and I covered my mouth with my hand. After I spluttered something sticky, I looked down. I stared at the blood on my hand.

_What is going on?_

I heard the voice before I saw him:

_"_HE'S HERE! Wait, what the hell. You're alive?!"


	2. Chapter 2: Confusion

_'The place they go to is nothingness' _

-Matsuda-

_He found him!_ I thought. I had heard Mr. Aizawa shout, "He's here," but nothing else. The rest was muffled. These walls must be pretty thick if I couldn't hear him from outside. Never mind. He was probably just saying something like "Well, he's dead, surprise, surprise" or "Light looks awfully helpless covered in his own blood", or the like_._ A minute later I walked into the room that I heard the shout coming from. And what I saw would change everything.

-Light-

I was thinking about the man who was now staring at me in wonder and something else, something deeper. _Fear?_ I was trying to match his face with a name. Mr. Aizawa maybe?

I couldn't care less. All I could think about what this burning sensation deep inside me that I had noticed when I came back. It was stronger now. It wasn't a warm, good feeling. I felt like something inside me was being set on fire, twisted and stabbed at the same time. My body didn't feel like my own anymore. It was rebelling agaisn't myself, and everything hurt worse than any pain I've known. The gunshots I suffered earlier were like a dream right now. I still couldn't move much, and standing was out of the question.

What was even weirder, was that a small part of me that was growing just as rapidly as the pain, was something else. Strength, power, life. I felt invincible. Well, that part of me at least.

My body felt like it was being torn in two from the inside, and I was in so much agony I could barely speak. And whenever I did, it took every part of me to do it.

A thought suddenly occured to me._ Did I come back to life because I wanted to live?_ Surely if it was that easy though, lots of people would come back, not just me. Maybe.

A few moments later while we looked at each other in silence, another person entered the room.

_Matsuda_.

The person who shot me_. Come for another go? _I thought bitterly.

I knew now that I wasn't in wherever I was for very long, if the police where still following me. The police wouldn't prolong an investigation to look for the body of Kira. I thought about what they would do. Probably kill me. If they could. I was still puzzling as to how I lived. It's not like I never died. Or at least, it felt like I had died. So many questions, and no answers.

_It's so frustrating_.

Looking down at the path of blood I made when I scraped himself across the floor earlier, I felt myself gagging like before. _Not again,_ I thought angrily before I started violently coughing blood.

-Ryuk-

"See what I mean!"

I had been arguing with the Great God of Death for quite some time now. We were in his palace, if it could be called that. Because the shinigami realm is slowly rotting, the once great and magnificent palace that used to be famed for it's beauty, architecture and plush gardens, was now little better than a wasteland. Most of it had crumbled to dust by now, and the stone it was built out of looked disgusting. I entered the great hall, which was the biggest part of the palace. It wasn't much, just an empty room which was quite big and held up by some half-broken, dirty stone columns. There was a lonely stone chair that the Great God of Death usually sat in staring into nowhere. All the other shinigami were bored out of their minds, and the Great God of Death was no exception. In the centre was a pool of water that was one of the many portals that shinigami could use to look into the human world, but this one was the biggest. We were standing around it now and looking at Light, trying to understand what was going on.

"Just tell me what's going on. You should know. You know everything about Death Notes!" I said.

"I thought I did. Truly. But it seems like there is something still for me to learn. He is interesting. I've been watching him for a while now."

Don't try to change the subject. This is serious. He could break the cycle of nature. Do you know what would happen then?!"

"Of course I do Ryuk. I'm the Great God of Death. I know everything- well, nearly everything. Hmm..."

The Great God of Death was starting to get on my last nerve. He did that a lot. Lots of shinigami avoided him, because despite appearances, he was the last person you wanted to get on the wrong side of. Anyone who disobeyed the rules he set paid dearly. Very dearly. He was the only person in this god forsaken place who knew more than the fair share of things about Death Notes. And all because of the book...

"Ryuk... Ryuk!"

"What!"

"You weren't answering my question, so I decided to make sure you were paying attention. Were you?"

"Um.."

"I didn't think so, now lets talk. I think it might be best to bring Light to me"

I immediately started laughing hysterically. When I had calmed down enough to speak, I replied, "Ok, good joke. Now seriously what are we going to do?" He frowned at me. "I told you. We'll bring him here." I smiled and said "Alright, are you feeling OK? Because anyone with half a brain knows that humans can't come to the shinigami realm."

"Ryuk, did you not just see what I saw. If Light was human, he'd be dead. He isn't. If my theory is correct, which I have little -no, scratch that, no doubt about, then Light will have no problem entering the shinigami realm."

"Fine. We'll do that. But only so that if it doesn't work, I can see what it looks like for a Great God of Death to be wrong. I'm actually excited about this. We both know that if you try to bring him here, his soul will be crushed, and the balance of the world tipped. Are you sure you can suffer the consequences of that?"

"No. But to my understanding, something not to different to that is happening right now."

"So, what's the plan?" I smiled.

-Light-

Great. Just brilliant. The police have found me. Well, it really was nice living for a bit longer, but if I'm right, which I know I am, these guys will leave no stone unturned in finding a way to kill me. Permanently. More have come now, and there's probably more coming. Hell, I might meet Near again. I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees me. _Solve this one Near and I'll be really impressed. _Maybe if I'm lucky, he might tell me what this excruciating pain is.

-Matsuda-

How can he be alive? How? It...It makes no sense. I'm so glad now that we called for Near to come to the site later to help look, and decide what to do. If we stay hear a bit longer, then Near will know what to do. What the hell is Light thinking right know? His face is a mask, hiding all emotions. He didn't even look to filled with pain when he choked up blood onto the floor earlier. Me and Mr. Aizawa just looked at him with the same expression which screamed, _What?_. That seems to be the most thought word of the day so far for me. Does Light know what's happening? My phone started ringing. I snapped back to reality, and went outside to take the call. I don't think Light is going anywhere right now, so we should be fine.

"Hello." I heard the vioce on the other end.

Near.

_Oh no,_ I thought. _This is _not_ going to be good._

"Uh, hi Near. Um. Look, there's something we need to tell you before you come."

"Too late," His voice sounded close, and when I turned around he was there right behind me, as calm and collected as ever.

"So what did you want to tell me?" With a worried look on my face, I pointed to where Light was. With a frown he headed towards the room. _I wonder what Near will make of this._

-Near-

All right, Matsuda. You've got my attention now. I walked into the room he pointed towards. When I walked in, everyone was huddled and crowded around a staircase. _Well, we've found his body. _"Sorry, but let me through please" Everyone ignored me, all looking in the same place. I heard a gurgling noise, and that's when I knew something was dreadfully wrong. "Let me through NOW!"

Slowly, everyone stepped aside. "WHAT?! NO! This is... NO! How? WHAT?!"

-Light-

I couldn't help myself, I smiled. "Well hello Near. Some greeting there. Thought you'd be expecting this more." I wanted to say more, but my spluttering started again as soon as I'd said the last word. When it eventually stopped, I continued. "I'm disappointed Near. I thought you'd know what was going to happen. I guess you're just not as good as L. The real one. You know I-"

"-Take him in" he interrupted.

"How?" replied one of the men there.

"By any means necessary. Use force if you must. In fact, do. I want him unconscious. He'll be less of a threat that way."

"A threat? He can barely speak!" Matsuda complained.

"He should be dead Matsuda! We cannot take risks. We don't know what he is capable of now."

"Don't I get a say in this" I meant it to sound like a joke, but because my voice is so raspy, it sounded serious. They didn't reply, and soon enough, one of them came over with a gun and bashed it over my head - not that it hurt much compared to the pain inside. Then everything went black all over again.


	3. Chapter 3: Caged

_'The human whose name is written in this note shall die'_ - 1st rule

-Matsuda-

We're on our way back to headquarters. If it can be called that. What do we do now that the Kira case is over. We know Light is Kira, but what do we do with him? Near will know. He'll conjure up some insanely clever plan that will end this. But despite the trust I have in Near, something told me that something was coming. And it isn't good.

-Near-

_How? _I'd love to know. _How?_ _How_ can he come back from the dead like that. Maybe there is some other rule we don't know. Like, owners of the death note can't die. But Mikami died. Aaargh! This will drive me insane if I let keep racking my brain to think of a solution. I have to calm down. Let's go over the facts.

Light is Kira. Light survived multiple wounds caused by Matsuda. He somehow healed himself, but is showing symptoms of something that must be causing him a lot of pain. He has no human rights now that we know he is Kira. Light is unconscious in the boot of the car that we came in. He is breathing and looks healthy, despite what we witnessed earlier. And as soon as I know how, we'll end him.

-Light-

I was on a beach. The sky was yellow, and the sun was setting. I could feel the sea breeze caressing me, holding me from harm. Promising peace. It felt perfect. I stood up, and in the distance I could see my dad coming towards me. I expected to feel something, something happy, delighted at seeing him. But inside, there was nothing. Nothing but this awful pain. The feeling of imploding in on myself and everything trying to escape from within me. A war raging within me, and I wanted it to stop more than anything.

I stood still, and waited for him to come to me. When he was a small distance away, he stopped.

"Light. My son. I'm so happy I found you." He walked closer and, to my surprise, hugged me. "Light, I'm so happy. So happy I found you." I relaxed, and hugged him back. "So happy" He hugged a little tighter. "So, unbelievably happy"

By now, he was crushing me, and my body started pushing away from him, desperate to escape. "Dad, it hurts." I said quietly, fear evident in my vioce.

"Because now I can kill you."

And just like that, he started punching. I fell to the floor and curled up in pain, my arms covering me head and my knees agaisnt my chest. I could hear my dad shouting, "You said you weren't Kira. You lied!" He was kicking me all over, until my face was bloody and most of my bones were broken, but he still didn't stop. I could barely hear him over the roar of my heart pounding in my ears.

"You lied Light, and you know you did!" Then he dragged me over to the sea, and when we were in deep water, he forced my head under. I screamed as my lungs filled with salty water.

I opened my eyes but then had to squint because my eyes were still accustoming to the single source of light in the otherwise gloomy room. _Not a room, a cell._

I was covered in cold water. It must have been what they used to wake me up. I looked directly up, and saw that my arms were suspended from the ceiling by chains. My wrists ached where the shackles bit into my skin. My legs were bent awkwardly across the floor. And lastly, Inoticed that no mater how hard I tried, most of my limbs wouldn't move more than an inch.

There was a table in front of me, and Near was behind it. _Time for questioning then_. I might actually answer him, if I think it's worth my time. I could even take this opportunity to throw him some false information and maybe buy myself time to escape. There had to be a way out of here. _Somehow..._ Near interrupted my thoughts by clearing his throat.

"Kira, you are a cold blooded murderer and therefore have no human rights as far as we are concerned. You're a danger, so we have drugged you so that the majority of your limbs will be numb. We will ask you questions, to which you will respond. If you do not, we will imply force. Let's start." That explains why I can't move. That's good though. It means that the pain of hanging from the ceiling won't hurt much. I'm already in so much pain it's beyond a comprehendable amount.

After a few seconds silence I replied, "You know that there's no point in hurting me, don't you.I'm already in enough pain as it is." This will test to see if he knows about what is happening to me.

Near looked down, and when he looked back up he reluctantly said, "Yes"

So he knows. Well, this will make things a lot more interesting.

I sighed and replied, "OK then. Do your worst."

Near showed surprise, but quickly masked it with a stony, neutral expression. "First, is Misa Amane the 2nd Kira?"

No way was I going to answer that. A person stepped out of nowhere and started kicking me in the ribs. But to my astonishment, I didn't react at all despite the sheer pain radiating through my body. He backed away, and Near repeated the question. No answer. The man came out and repeated the process, but this time punching my face, and in the action breaking my nose. It hurt a lot more this time, but I did nothing. I looked up at Near as blood trickled down my face from my nose and mouth. He looked at me with the same face, but I could see something in his eyes that told me he knew nothing about me any more. He was confused. That meant that giving false information would be easy.

As bad as it seemed, I lectured myself that this was a way of getting precious data. I already knew that they didn't know if Misa was helping me in killing criminals. Unless they were trying to mislead me. No, they woudln't do that. They don't expect me to last long with this illness I have. If it is that. First thing I do when I break out of here is get Near to tell me what's going on with me. He must know. He said so after all. So why was a part of me thinking he didn't know? Was it because of the perplexed look in his eyes every time he looked at me?

The man eventually backed away, and Near continued. "How did you convince your dad you weren't Kira. He had the shinigami eyes, but he could see your lifespan. Anyone who was Kira couldn't have had a visible lifespan. Explain."

He's where I throw them a false fact. " He was the 2nd Kira. He would never tell people I was Kira."

Near didn't hide his surprise this time. _Just as I planned._ Now they have even less need to suspect Misa. The lie wasn't full-proof, I knew, but I can't let her fall into their hands. She is vital to my existence right now. If this lie causes even the slightest bit of doubt, it works in my favour.

-Near-

_Mr. Yagami was Kira? _There are two things I must conclude. Either 1, the more likely out of the two, he was the 2nd Kira and working for Light until he died, and Light gave the notebook to Mikami.

Or 2, the less likely one, Light is lying through his teeth. Still a 30% chance of that one though. But the first one would explain how he knew private information. How he avoided our surveillance with ease. And nearly everything else. Still, there were parts I still didn't know how they could have fit in. _Hhhmmm_. What to do, what to ask.

I thought of one that wouldn't really be helpful, but something I'd wanted to know for a very long time.

"Light."He opened his eyes."Why did you kill them? All of them."

He smiled and lifted up his head as much as the drugs would allow. "You mean why did I kill thousands, maybe millions of people, be they criminals, investigators, people in the way, women, or quite frankly anyone else. Hell, I came _this_ close to killing my sister once." He sighed and a moment later proceeded. "I'll tell you the truth. It's for two reasons. One. Everywhere, all I could see was crime... Violence... Evil. To the point where I was sick of life. Sick of living... So when the Death Note came, it was like fate. I sought to perfect the world, and to make it ideal for those who wished for a better place to live and were pure of heart. And I would be the God of that spotless world." He strained to look up enough to look into my eyes, and added, "The 2nd reason is less complicated, but a lot more important."

"What was it?" - silence- "Tell me. NOW." I ordered. I was bored of his antics. I wanted answers, and I wanted them quickly.

"You really want to know?"

I considered it for some time before I decided. After all, it could change everything we thought about Light, everything we've worked so hard for. "Yes. I want to know."

He looked like he was about to burst out laughing he was grinning so much until he finally said,

"Stay tuned to find out."

My eyes widened as I realized what he was doing. I stood up at screamed, "_Damn_ you! _Damn_ you to _hell!_ You... You're playing with me... Let's get something straight here. This is not 1001 nights, alright. You are _not_ telling me to keep you alive just so I can find out the reasons of you're hideous crimes."

"Oh but Near, I'm afraid I am. And do you want me to tell you why you're so frantic all of a sudden?"

I starting thinking of a response, but he didn't wait for an answer.

"It's because it's working."

-Matsuda-

"Where's Near?" I asked Mogi. We called him for help because we needed as much security as possible with Light here. Even though keeping an eye on Misa is important, it is nowhere near as important as keeping Light in his cell. Right now, there's me, 2 people from the SPK, Near, Mogi and Mr. Aizawa working on the Kira case. Or more keep-Light-in-prison case.

"I think he's still questioning Light... I wonder why it's taking so long. I would've thought that Light would spill once he realized he's going nowhere. He's got no way of winning against Near. _Right?_"

"Of course." I replied, but we both knew I didn't mean it. At least not fully. Something told me this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

As if he knew we were talking about him, Near came in. A second later, I realized the veins popping out on his neck, and the fury in his eyes. "I'll kill him! I will!"

"What's going on?!" I asked, suddenly very concerned. "Tell me."

Breathing heavily, he quickly replied "Light got me, and I'm well and truly stuck. I'll show him I don't want to know, I'll end him right now."

"Think about this Near. I mean, we don't know how to kill him right now. Just w-"

"-NO! It has to be now. I'll use the one thing that just might end him...the note book."

"_NO!"_ we all shouted in unison. "Not the note book, anything but that note book. You'll be just as bad as Light that way," Mogi pleaded. By now, he had the note book in his hand and was getting a pen.

"I have to. I must... If resorting to evil to defeat him is what I must do, the so be it."

Mr. Aizawa, the one who went with him to the cell, said "But then you'll be lowering yourself to Light's ideals! Don't do that. I wouldn't be able to bear it." Mogi tried to grab the newly found pen off Near, but to no success. I decided I would try to bring him back to reality. "Don't do it Near. Please, I'm begging you, don't do th-

"-It's too late." I looked past Near's shoulder and saw he was right. Untidly sketched in black ink was the name, _Light Yagami_.

_Why_ Near? _Why?_ Is killing Light _that_ important to you?

"I'll go check on him. If he's dead, which I really hope he isn't, then you're a cursed man Near."

"Trust you to what to be the one to volunteer to see if he's alive, Matsuda." I regarded him, and quickly ran down the stairs towards Light's cell, taking four steps at a time. Half-way down, I heard a muffled cry, followed by detached howls and noises that could only mean one thing.

_He's dying. He's actually dying..._

I almost ran past his cell, but managed to catch myself in time. And in spite of the feeling that was so certain that he'd be dead, I was wrong. Funny thing was, I didn't know if I was glad or not.

"What's all that running about. I could hear you from the stairs." He looked up at me. "Those drugs you gave me have really bad side-effects you know. I felt like I had a heart-attack."


	4. Chapter 4: Gunpoint

_'We both know this thing is beyond science' - _L, Episode 24 'Revival'

-Light-

What was that I just felt? A heart attack? Was it natural, or something else? The drugs they fed me? I doubt it. Something in my gut told me that this was the work of a note book. Wouldn't surprise me, after seeing the look on Near's face when he left me a few moments ago. He must have decided to take things into his own hands. Mastuda was staring at me right now, as if all the hope in the world had been set alight, stabbed and stomped on at the same time...

_Idiot. _I still don't know how someone like him became a detective.

His shouting brought me back to reality. "Light, why? WHY?!"

It took all my strength to look back at him and reply, "What do you mean, '_Why_'?"

He looked down at the floor and starting shaking from raw emotion. _Sadness?_ He looked up and I could see it was fury that was clouding his eyes, causing him to clench his fists into tight balls. "Why did you kill them? _Why?_ Damn it, why Light?!" Before I could answer, he pounced on me and pulled back my head by my hair. "_Why?!_ WHY?!"

He was so close he was spitting on me. I could feel his saliva and my blood mix on my face, running down my cheeks and onto my clothes. It reminded me of when I was young and I would watch the rain drops race each other down the window.

He threw me to the floor and started kicking, shouting, scratching, screaming, hitting, spitting, clawing...everything. I lay on the cold hard floor, his foot pushing down on my head and crushing my skull against the stony ground.

Suddenly he jerked me up, once again holding me by my hair. He pulled out his semi-automatic and jammed it against my temple. I could barely hear what he was saying he was panting so hard. "You will die, someday. I swear it. I swear it on my life. Someday..." His words were laced with hatred and disgust, but all I could think about was the gun. It felt cold against my skin, and I wondered what it would be like to actually die. It could happen. It could just be that some weird rule in the note book means that note book users must be killed twice before they actually die. It don't know anymore. All I could think of was what it would feel like to be shot in the head. To have something mental slice a gap through the very thing that controls what I do...What makes me who I am. The only other thing apart from the gun that occupied some of my attention was this insane, never-ending pain.

My mind feels like it's being crushed from the inside, and so does everywhere else including my soul. Like my very existence is a crime against nature and nature is trying to eliminate any trace of me form the world, but I'm not going. I think it might be nice to die. Not if living is like this. I could die right now. _Possibly...Maybe..._

My ears pick up the unmistakable sound of fingers running across metal. I could hear the click of him pulling down on the safety and pressing the trigger... Slowly... _Slowly..._

_This is it... _I closed my eyes and braced myself for death.

"Matsuda! _What_ are you _doing?!_"

-Near-

"Matsuda! You idiot!" I screamed in frustration. I turned to and Mogi. "Get that gun off of him...NOW!" Quickly, they galloped over to him and tried to secure the gun. "NO! HE MUST DIE!"

"Matsuda, _give_ me the gun!" Mr. Isowa commanded.

Matsuda looked him dead straight in the face, his eyes shaking with outrage, his face darkened with fury. Isowa returned the favour. "Or what? What're you going to do? Put me in a cell like _HIM_?!" He pointed a trembling finger at Light.

While they struggled with each other, I registered that I hadn't even looked at the damage Matsuda had inflicted on Light. Rotating my head to face him, I gasped. It was, in a word...horrific.

There were claw marks all over his face, one that tore through the skin on his eyelid, forcing his eye to be shut. Most of them were so deep, crimson drops of blood started flowing freely from them down his profile. Some got stuck at his bottom lip, and started pooling there. And that was just the scratching.

His body was completely slack, his arms raised in chains. His legs were arranged in such an array that I had to force myself to look. Even with the numbing agent of the drugs we forced into his system, it must be painful. I detected bruises everywhere. Face, legs, arms, hands...they knew no boundaries. It would be foolish to believe that he'd gotten out of that without any large areas of bones broken and major organ injuries. Any human would have probably been dead by now. Or at least a lot closer to death than he was.

But despite all that, the look plastered onto his face was the thing that made me cringe the most.

He was smiling. In fact, not just smiling, grinning. And the grin just kept on broadening. As if he was playing a game and he was winning. Like he knew something we didn't.

He didn't belong in society. He is evil incarnate. He's an animal.

I'm going to _end_ him...

_And soon._

-Mogi-

I looked over at Matsuda, who was staring at the floor. He'd been in that position for at least an hour now. Or was it longer? Maybe 2 hours. Anyway, it was starting to creep me out. My usually fun, optimistic friend had gone into a shell, never to come out. _What was he thinking? _I couldn't tell_. _His face was a wall. And a blank one at that. His expression was, well...expressionless.

And Light had done that...He was going to pay. One way or another.

"Mogi, I have a task for you."

I hadn't even noticed that Near was observing me from across the empty, grey room filled with comuter screens and office chairs. "Um... yeah, okay. What is it?"

"I need you to tell Light's mother and sister that Light has been killed."

"Are you sure that's wise?", I shot back with an astounded expression.

He started twirling his hair, like he always did when he was thinking. It was annoying at first, but I grew accustomed to it. "Of course. His family will be wondering where he is. And if they get too curious then things could go pear-shaped." At my quizzical look he explained. "If they are too curious, they could start to investigate. It wouldn't take them long to find Kira Headquarters. And therefore Light."

"I understand," I said solemnly. "So what do I say?" Reaching for the phone, I started dialing the required numbers.

"Tell them he died most unfortunately while tailing Kira. Kira found out his name and wrote his name down in a note book. However, we were unable to recover his body. We know he's dead because we found the note book with his name in during a mission." He held up the note book and flicked to the page with Light's name on. _Genius_, I thought.

"Say that due to confidentiality of the Kira case, a public funeral may not be held, but they're welcome to mourn discretely in private. Oh, and one more thing...tell them to not say a word about this to Misa. I have another plan for her..."

-Sayu-

"Hey mum! What's for dinner?" I hollered as I walked through the door. My flat was flooded by the tenants upstairs so, much to my dismay, I had to stay with mum until the apartment was cleaned.

"Make your own! I'm not a slave!" She yelled back from the top of the staircase.

"Never said you were!" I accidentally screamed the last bit into her ear as she jumped down the stairs.

"Easy now, otherwise you'll make me deaf."

"Sorry mum, I wasn't on purpose" I replied honestly. At a suspicious look as a response, I put on my most innocent pose with my hands together in prayer and said in a high voice, "Promise mummy dearest!"

And just like that, we both started laughing hysterically. These moments were very rare since...since dad...

We both jumped as the kitchen phone rang. It was an annoying ring tone that I'd wanted mum to change for ages.

"Could d'you get it before my ears bleed?"

Mum did as requested and picked up the phone, still smiling at my earlier performance. Before she answered, I quickly added "Mum, put it on loudspeaker please." Not for any particular reason, I was just nosey.

"Okay...If you like." Pressing a button on one side of the phone, the beeping rang out in surrond-stereo. After pressing another button on the front of the it, she started speaking.

"Yes, hello, Sachiko Yagami here. Can I help?"

"Oh yes, um...it's Mogi here," A crackly male voice replied. "From the Kira task-force." At those words, I froze. And one thought filled my very essence.

_Dad..._

Looking up, I saw mum's eyes start to fill with tears. She wiped them away defiantly, and carried on, her voice now becoming increasingly more depressed.

"Yes. Is there any news... Have you found him? Kira, I mean."

"No, we haven't found him," Was that hesitation I detected? "But...we have bad news. Very bad news."

No, no...not now..not after what happened...not so shortly after...Dad...

"Just tell me..."-no answer- "I hate not being in the know. Just tell me. Now!" Mum's hand gripped the kitchen work top so hard, her hand was going white from lack of blood. I had to do someting before she said something she'd regret.

"Calm down mum. It's alright. I'm here." I put my hand in hers. She relaxed a lot more, and she gave my hand a squeeze to let me know she was fine.

"Well...It's Light." We both gasped at the same time._No, NO! Please, please_...

"He died last week after Kira found out his identity. It took a bit longer to find out because we only found out by acquiring a Death Note that Kira was using, one of many we think...We assure you we have looked for his body, but we're we unsuccessful. We all here at task force HQ gave you our condolences. We're so very sorry."

My mother started sobbing and just barely managed to answer, "Yes detective. Thank you for being honest. I couldn't have asked for any thing better. Goodbye." She slammed down the phone before running out of the room her shirt already streaked with salty tears.

"Mum! Wait!" I called after her, but she was already in her bedroom. I pressed my back up against a wall, and slowly slid down until I was eventually sitting on the floor, my hands over my face.

My dad...and now my brother. _Light...what am I going to do without you?_ All the memories of the moments we spent together came into my thoughts, and with them the threat of tears.

Him helping me with my maths homework. Taking me to the park. Smiling at me when I said something smart. Sighing as mum lectured him on proper etiquette. Showing mum an aced geography exam paper. Saying to dad how he'd kill Kira if something happened to dad.

_But now he's...Oh, Light..._

-Near-

"I did as asked," I looked at Mogi after he spoke. "Anything else before we start on Light again?"

We're sitting on desk chairs in front of a huge computer screen that went all the way to the high ceiling. It towered above us, feeding us information. We're in task force head quarters, a very plush and modern building, that rose to the sky knowing no limits. My predecessor L had it built while he was trying to catch Kira...But he died before he could bring him to justice.

Just thinking about it...makes me feel like...like what Matsuda did was the closest we could get to justice.

I will _never_ forget how L died. _Never._

_"So Near, _anything else?" I glanced at Mogi, and relaxed my shaking, clenched fists.

"Yes - no, don't bother picking up the phone, it's a different task." He gave me a curious face, his hand already returned to his lap. "I want you to get a sample of Light's blood. As much as you need... Here's a syringe."

Taking the cold, demonic instrument out of my hand, he gave a slight nod and walked across the room towards the stairs that led to the cells. And Light.

This _will_ end you. I know it...I _feel_ it. Once we know what you are, we'll research, and then...

_Game over._


	5. Chapter 5: Interference

_'The owner of a Death Note can recognize the image and voice of the original owner - a Shinigami, for example.'_

-Light-

Things are really starting to get bad. At this rate, I really could die. If I even can...

This whole can't-die thing is beginning to become an annoyance. All I can think about is the sheer pain that causes my body to tremble, what Near will do next, and how I'm still alive. Though not necessarily in that order.

Deep in thought, I subconsciously acknowledged someone else entering the room, but thinking they were just going to question me, I ignored them. I only took notice of them when they jammed something sharp into my skin with as much force as they could muster. I gave a small wince, and looked up towards them. I could see red liquid gushing into the syringe they were holding.

_I should have known this would happen...They're going to see what I am..._

Well, now I know they don't have a clue what's going on...but if that's the case, why did Near say he knew why I was hurting before I was injured by Matsuda? Maybe he didn't know...But he looked so sincere...

Oh no, I'm so slow...He doesn't know, he just knows I was in pain because I was coughing blood.

_Dying is making me stupid,_ I smiled to myself. Without meaning to, that thought made me grin on the outside as well.

"What you so happy about, eh Light?" Mogi said in his usual low voice. He didn't try to hide the hatred in his words.

"Nothing much, just thinking about how stupid I am...was." I sighed. "Well, things can't get worse right? Hey Mogi?" He took me in before replying, "I wouldn't know...But if Near finds out what's going on, things will be a lot worse for you."

"Is that speculation, or a promise?" I couldn't help but wind him up; it was too easy. Besides, this empty, lifeless, dark cell was starting to make me bored.

After a few moments, he answered before unlocking the metal seal on the door.

"A promise."

-Mogi-

Light disgusts me. It took all my strength not to jam that thing in his neck. And that expression. Will he ever show weakness? All he's done so fa,r despite the injuries his suffered, is look happy. It's repulsive.

"Here you are Near," I threw his blood to him. "Light's D.N.A, as requested. What you going to do now?"

He twirled his finger around his hair. "See how to kill him, of course."

"You mean if we can..." I regretted the words as soon as I said them. I should've remembered how angry is about Light, given his actions earlier. He spoke, the back of the black chair he was sitting in still staring me in the face, giving me a feeling of rejection. And it stung somehow.

"Mogi, don't say that. We have to hope."

"Yeah, c'mon Mogi! We have to believe that the years we spent on this case weren't wasted." Said Matsuda being his usually optimistic self.

I glanced around H.Q. Everyone was sitting down in some sort of chair or sofa. The guys from the S.P.K, that Near led, hadn't talked yet, and seemed to occupied in their own thoughts to do so. Near, Mogi, Mr. Isowa and Matsuda who showed any sign of life.

_This is disaster..._

I heard Near put the deep red liquid that would solve all our problems into the D.N.A analyzer. Hard to think that such a small of something could put an end to possibly the most evil man who ever lived. But, things were starting to get harder to believe by the second. And once we got the results to the blood test, things were going to get worse.

-Near-

Soon, so soon. I can feel it. I looked at the screen, it's light reflecting off my face.

_13% _

_15%_

_Soon, so soon..._

You'd better count the time you have left Light. You haven't got much left.

Soon.

-Light-

What's going on? I'm all alone, with only the occasional drip of blood from my nose splashing agaisnt the freezing, solid ground as a break from silence.

Silence.

I read somewhere, many years ago, when I wasn't Kira, that when the world ends, it will be silent. Now explosions, no screaming. Just...nothing. Emptiness. Why do I get the feeling that this is my world ending. Crunching in on itself. Maybe it's because I am crunching in on myself. Inside. I won't be able to stay sane from it much longer. Time's a precious thing, I know that now. I guess I always did, since I never made the eye deal with Ryuk. But, I realize it now more than I ever did before. Like my whole life I was blind, and now I'm cured. But I'm far from healthy. Too far.

What was that?! I saw...did I? No, it's just a hallucination. Must be the drugs. But it couldn't be; I was starting to feel my arms again, so the effect of them couldn't be increasing. What was that? That, black figure? A shadow? Or something more real?

What's going on? _Someone help me. _

_Please._

_-_Near-

"How far is it?"

"It's 68% Matsuda. Anytime now."

Tick tock, tick tock. My head moved in time to the hands on the clock I was watching intently. Every second that went by brought a new feeling. Fear, anger, happiness, joy, hatred, hope. It was making me dizzy.

Shocked, I tipped out of my chair and fell to the ground. Hard. I clutched at my left arm- the one that broke my fall to the floor. Then I returned my eyes to what I'd seen.

"What's the problem Near? What's going on?!" I didn't turn to see who made the question.

It wasn't there. But, I was sure. So sure. It was tall, and black...and...I don't know. Maybe it was nothing. Or it was...I pulled at my hair; I hated not knowing something.

"Stop Near! Please, stop!"

"No! It was there...It was..."

I climbed back on the chair, still shaken. I looked at the screen.

_92%._

Despite the flash of dread and joy that sent shivers down my spine, I couldn't divert from my thoughts.

_What the hell was going on?_

"Guys, it's nearly time." They all gathered round the screen.

_94%_

_95%_

I'll kill you Light...For L. For Mellow. For everyone you've killed and hurt.

_96%_

_97%_

_Soon, Light. So soon..._

_98%_

_99%_

_Game over._

Then everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6: Dying

_'The Shinigami realm has laws that govern it. If a Shinigami should break a law, there are nine levels of punishment, which the severity starting at Level Eight and going up to Level One, plus an Extreme Level. At severity levels above Three, the Shinigami will be punished and killed'_

-Near-

I banged my fist against the dead, lifeless screen.

"What the..." I started. My senses tingled as I thought of what the black figure from earlier could have possibly been.

Was it even real? Wait, it couldn't have been a...a shinigami?

No...

Then one thought filled my very essence. A thought that made my body shudder and my blood freeze into ice.

_Light._

If he escaped...

Oh God.

-Ryuk-

When did the old man get so _crazy? _What was he thinking coming to the human world?! It's unheard of! He must be really interested in what's going on to be so drastic.

Despite being a shinigami, these dark corridors are freaking me out. Nothing but rot and slime and dirt. But nowhere near as bad as the shinigami realm. Well, at least soon we'll arrive at Light's cell. This place can't be that big.

_Light, you'd better be worth all the trouble we're about to go through._

The king thinks you are. But for me, you'll have to achieve the impossible.

You'll have to travel to the shinigmi realm.

-Light-

I feel like I'm going insane. What are they doing with my blood? Will they kill me soon? Or later? Or _never? _And what was that, that _thing_ earlier? It didn't look like a shinigami. Or, at least not one I've seen before. _Ahhhh!_

I bashed my head off of the wall behind me in frustration. A liquid ran down the back of my neck and trickled down my filthy, blood stained shirt. Slowly raising my hand to inspect it, I pulled away when I felt a sticky substance coating the wound. I looked at my hand, blood covering my skin.

The sight of it repulsed me. But then, why? I've spilled an unimaginable amount over my life. You'd think I'd be used to it by now. But, since I was shot, I've changed.

I won't be the angry idiot who got caught by Near after a single mistake. I'll be more clever. I'll be better.

I heard the sound of metal hitting metal.

"Hello Light."

A new, unique, indescribable pain hit me like a smack in the face. I curled up, screaming and grinding my teeth in agony. Suddenly my vision turned black. It was like before all over again.

_Am I dying?_

-Ryuk-

"Stop! He's not going to make it." I exclaimed watching the twisted body of Light shuddering in pain.

His pointed teeth glinted even in this dark cell. "Since when did you start caring about him?"

"I don't," I replied, angry at his question. How dare he even think I'd care about a human. "I just think that this is a waste of time, so we might as well not continue."

I glanced back at Light. He was clawing the ground, and smashing his head against the stone floor, a loud bang and crack resounding off the walls with every blow.

"Human's are pitiful. Don't you think so Ryuk?" I turned to him. "But this human's fate is worse than most. Not only is his body dying right now, but his very soul is. It has been since you wrote his name down in your notebook. You know, destroying a soul is a crime punishable by death."

Fear flooded over me. And then rage. "What are you saying?" I spoke quietly.

His voice went very cold and serious. "I mean, if he doesn't make it, you'll die."

I stared in awe at him. Then back at Light.

If he doesn't make it, I'll...

_I'll die?_

-Light-

My body's letting go. My mind's disconnecting. Everything's going limp. Everything's dying. And it's no less than I deserve.

L, it was a good game. The best in fact. But now it's over.

No...maybe it isn't. Maybe in another world...another life...another us, we're still fighting.

But I musn't wish. Not now. Not when it's futile to do so.

All feeling left me. I stopped breathing. I stopped blinking. I just, stopped.

And I ended.


	7. Chapter 7: Questions

_'I stole a death note."_ - Ryuk

-Near-

What the hell is going on around here?

First, Light comes back to life and as much as we try, won't die. Then the power gets cut. And now, screaming and other sounds I can't describe and never want to hear again start coming from his cell.

I mean...what?

One thing I've hated all my life is not knowing something. And right now, my mind's being torn in two. If L was here, what would he do?

Not that it matters, he's dead. Has been for a while now. And he's never coming back.

My fist scrunches up at the thought of why he died. Just thinking his name makes my body shake with anger.

_Light._

"Someone go check on Light. I don't care who, just go." When I don't hear anyone moving, I look behind. "Are you deaf?! I said GO!"

-Matsuda-

Near's lost his mind. He looks so pale...and his eyes. They're almost red with rage. His teeth are clamped together, as if stuck with glue. Seeing him like this...It makes my heart break.

The usual calm and collected Near we knew is gone. And he might never come back.

My sadness like a weight on my shoulders, I start towards the cells.

"Anyone coming?" I ask.

"Me." I hear Mr. Aizawa call. Then someone from the S.P.K. "I'll come as well."

I feel the air get colder as we travel down the stairs. It's freezing in the cells, and so dark you can barely see you're own hand.

But it's where Light belongs. Until he dies. Which hopefully won't be too long from now. Not too long.

Because while he's alive Near can never be happy.

-Mr. Aizawa-

_Almost there_, I think, wrapping my arms around myself trying to keep out the cold.

"Which cell is he in again?" I ask in the daunting silence.

"The 2nd on the right as you go in." Stephen said. He's an S.P.K member that works directly under Near. He's been helping us with a few other members, two men and one woman.

"OK, we're here." I say unlocking the door.

We walk slowly towards the cell, scared of what we might see. What might have happened to Light.

And what we see changes everything.

-Ryuk-

"Did he make it?" I ask frantically. We're back in the Shinigami realm, and Light's nowhere in sight.

Which means I might actually die.

He looks around the desolate plains of rubbish and filth that is his kingdom. "I'm not sure. It doesn't look like it." He sighs deeply. "Shame. I was really interested in him. Y'know, I've been watching him."

I looked at him, surprised. "I never knew. Well, what did you think?"

He smiled, which isn't a very common thing to see. "He was...I don't know how to describe it. But I remember you once said that he'd be the perfect shinigami. Well, that's what he was. Well, it doesn't matter now, he's dead."

"And...and what does that mean for me?" I asked, all feelings drowning in this wave of fear and dread.

"I don't know." He says, and he really looks like he doesn't. "To be honest, I'm so disappointed that I don't really know what to think right now."

He turned to me, as if he just suddenly realized something. "Actually, how did you come about a second death note? Because stealing one is a level 7 crime."

"Um..."

-Light-

Everything's dark and cold. Not freezing, just cold. I feel like I'm in a nightmare, and no matter how much I try to wake up, I can't.

It's like before, when I was alone and then that light came. But, before I had no feeling apart from the urge to live. Now, it's different.

I feel like I'm home, but...I'm not. Like when you want two things, and you just can't decide between them, and you're torn between them.

I just don't know how to feel anymore.

Then a sharp pain hits me like a smack in the face. It's splitting me in two, and nothing has ever hurt more. No physical, mental or emotional pain could ever be this agonizing.

It's simply indescribable.

There's an object sticking into my back at an awkward angle. And footsteps. Getting closer. And closer. Closer... The trudging abruptly stops, then I hear running. Then a voice, but it's very faint. I strain to listen to it, but this pain blocks out everything.

I pick out random words in the meaningless muttering. I hear '_a'_ and then '_doing_'. The voice sounds puzzled and panicked, but at the same time excited. I can't be sure, but I think it's a guy,

Then I hear him say _'breathing'_. Who could he mean? _Me?! _But I'm dead aren't I?

_Am I?_


	8. Chapter 8: Impossible

_'Humans cannot easily tell which Shinigami are male and which Shinigami are female, although Shinigami know each other's gender instinctively' -_ Death Note Wiki, Shinigami, Character profile

-Matsuda-

This, this isn't real. This can't be happening.

But, it is.

No, this must be a mistake, there's just no way.

_Is there?_

It's impossible. Not after...

_Well how is...is he...?_

-Light-

I feel something hard prod my cheek. I try to open my eyes, and I partly manage. But it's just more darkness. Everywhere. I look around, but there's just black.

The voice is gone. And the pain just gets worse.

I shuffle around, still on my back, moving as much as I can manage. My body doesn't feel like mine. In fact, it feels like I don't have one. I really don't know what's going to happen next.

When did that feeling start? Was it when I died? Or when Near found me? Or even before that?

When I got the death note, my world changed. I thought for the better. I still do. I wouldn't change a thing.

I mean, what was the alternative? Go to college, get a job, maybe marry, start a family, grow old and die like everyone else? Live a life like everyone else and not my own? Just living because the other option is dying?

No, that's no life. What I did, that was living. Never knowing what would happen next. Always thinking up my next move. Living because if I died, L would win, and I'd lose.

The voice is back. No...it's different. It's...female maybe? I still can't hear a word though.

I tried one last time to move, open my eyes, do _something._

My eyes opened fully. I heard a startled sound come from whoever the hell was speaking just now.

All I could see was what was close to me, so they must be a few metres away. I wanted to see who it was but my body screamed in torment if I tried.

I could hear more now. Only parts, but still some.

"But he's...now?...king...be in trouble if..."

"But wha...no choice..."

Then silence. Maybe they could tell me what's going on?

"Where am-" I tried, but a coughing fit stopped me from finishing.

"He spoke! He _spoke!_" The male voice said.

"What if we get punished?! This is at least a level 2 crime." The female asked.

"Daril, there's a human right in front of us and all you can think about is the king?!"

"YES! Unlike you, Zellogi, I _don't_ want to die!"

The one called Zellogi sighed. "Well, I want to find out more about him. I mean, where'd he come from?"

"I don't know and I really don't care. Look, I say kill him and then we won't-

"KILL HIM?! Are you crazy?!"

They continued like this for a while. Zellogi saying how amazing this is and Daril screaming how we should write my name in a death note.

I can feel my limbs coming a bit. Not much, but at least it's something.

What the hell is going on? I think I've given up on answering that question.

My vision is a lot less blurry now and I can move around a lot more, though it hurts to. I move my head to the side and the two black figures who I assume are the people just talking start jumping and whispering. What's their deal? What was it they were saying earlier? Something like, 'he spoke' and 'this is a crime' and 'the king'?

What is with these two? Are they crazy?

I struggle to sit up, but I eventually make it.

"Where am I? Do you know?" I say, my voice sounding how I feel. In other words, terrible.

"OK, Zellogi, you had your fun, now we_ need_ to do something."

"Oh come on Daril! It's so boring here in the shinigami realm!"

I froze. What did he say? The...Shingami realm?!

"What did you say?" I said, my voice low and serious.

"I said it's boring in the Shinigami realm." He replied, slowly walking closer, but still being cautious. And that's when I see he's a shinigami. He's wearing an Indian headress and earrings and his skin is a sickly grey.

"But that means..." I whisper, not believing that what he's saying.

He smiled at me. "Yep. You're in the shinigami realm."

_WHAT?!_

-Misa-

Oh Light.

_Light..._

Why? Why did you...?

Light, my love...

I love you so much. I always will.

But why Light, why did you...?

My breath's ragged and shaking. My whole body feels like too much weight, and I can lift myself off my chair, so I stay sat. Staring into the fireplace. But it's warmth gives me no comfort.

I can never be happy knowing the truth.

The cold truth that's tearing me apart. I feel so lost without you Light. My life's not worth living. It isn't. Not without you Light. But...

Why did Kira kill you Light?


	9. Chapter 9: Chaos

-Matsuda-

I walked down the steps slowly, expecting only the worst, because that's all that's happened so far.

Light comes back; we can't kill him; he toys with us; Near's slowly going insane like water slowing boiling out of a pan and onto the floor.

Everything spiralled out of control.

And then I saw...I saw the indescribable. It was Light, but...His corpse. Frozen on the ground, eyes wide open in pain and misery. Everyone watched on in disbelief. I could hear the lonesome drip of water from a nearby cell tearing through the enveloping silence, wrapping itself around me like a snake strangling its prey.

The whole task force honestly thought we'd never get rid of him. But there he is; dead. Heart stopped, and his body forever frozen in time only to eventually decay and rot. It's finally over. This twisted sick game of death is finally over.

But the weird thing was. I didn't feel happy.

Because he'd already ruined our lives.

-Near-

_Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes..._

The same word was being repeated in my hand. Over and over,

_Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes..._

And over,

_Yes, yes, yes..._

Again.

_Yes!_

"What do you mean_ DEAD?!_" I screamed in hysteria. My face was gleaming with joy.

"We found his body in the cell." Matsuda said. His look was blank and filled with despair, though I couldn't think why. He stared at the stone floor, his gaze showing no signs of life. Circles of grey shrouded his eyes and his skin looked deathly white.

I started laughing wildly. Everyone looked at me in concern and bewilderment, thoroughly confused and scared at my sudden outburst. But I didn't care.

"He's dead!" I shouted. "He's dead, he's dead!" I sang merrily. My chuckling grew and grew.

"_STOP IT!_"

I turned around, my sniggering abruptly interrupted, to see Mr. Aizawa with anger shaking his body and causing his hands to shake from pure rage. I could see some blood dripping from his left hand from his nails biting into his flesh. I listened as two drops hit the floor with a hard thud, staining the grey floor with its crimson tint.

"Just, just stop it. _Please_." He said in a monotone voice. "Before I do something I will regret."

We stayed like that for a while. I don't know how long exactly, but it felt like half of an eternity. "I don't know why you are telling me to stop. I should be happy. Do you not think I should be? _Light's dead_ Aizawa, the man that has killed countless people, L included, is _dead._ And you say I should be _sad?_"

He stayed silent. I could feel a storm taking over me, taking control and not listening to reason. "Do you not _agree?! The bastard's dead!_" I said gleefully. "We should celebrate! How could we not?!" I looked around. "What about you Matsuda? Or Stephen? _Anyone?_ What do _you_ want to do? Do you agree with_ me_ or wi-"

"JUST SHUT UP!" Matsuda cut in. His expression grim and his jaw fixed in a painfully tight position. "I'm sick of this! I'm sick of all of this!" He pounded his clenched fist against the nearest table, sending a cup off the surface and shattering into little pieces of Light, you damn bastard, you didn't lose. But you didn't win either. You ruined us. All of us. The lucky ones died, like your father who lost died at peace believing you weren't Kira." His shouting was getting louder and louder teh more he talked. "But not all of us were that fortunate." He said with slow-burning fury. "You didn't achieve anything Light. You just made everything WORSE!" He screamed in frustration. His body started convulsing, and only when his eyes locked onto me did I realize that he was weeping. "So just shut up Near. There's no celebration in order, because nothing good has happened. Everyone's lives are ruined, people have died, and I'm just _sick of this._"

We stood staring at each other, wondering what would happen next.

And that's when the phone rang.

-Misa-

_I need to know. I _need_ to..._

"Hello, this is Misa Amane. I'd like to know what has happened to Light Yagami. Yes, I'm his girlfriend. Well, I want to have some confirmation of his...his..." I felt water splash against my cold skin.

Damn, I promised I wouldn't cry. I can say it. I do this. "I'd like to know if he's dead." I said, slight hesitation on the word 'dead'. "His sister Sayu told me that he died, and-"

The phone gave me a sharp high-pitched squeal, signalling the end of the conversation. I gripped the phone and lifted my hand to throw it against the wall, preparing myself for the loud smash of the impact.

_Damn it all, damn it all to hell!_

The device sang a cheerful tune as it was just about to let go of it. I looked at the number. It was the same one from before. Just so I could yell at them, I picked it up again.

"Why the hell did you-" I started.

"Please be calm." The male voice said. I had met most of the task force, but somehow I didn't know this guys voice. "Misa Amane, I can give you full confirmation that Light Yagami, the head of the Kira investigation is dead."

"No, _no_ that can't, it_ can't_ be true." I said disbelievingly. "There must be some-"

"Misa, there is no mistake." He said bluntly.

Then Light really is dead. My precious Light. I'll never see him again. Never touch him...I can't...can't believe he's really is gone. But, but maybe...maybe we will meet again. In death, if nothing else. Maybe in some other life, we could have been happy. Got married, had children. And after years and years of being alive, grown old and died together.

But that's impossible. And that's the cold, harsh truth that fate has decided for us.

"Do you know when the burial will take place?" I swallowed, my misery consuming me. Strangely, there was no immediate response, not even to tell me that they'd look. About three minutes later he said, "There will be no funeral. We couldn't retrieve his body, as he was on a mission when he died. We are very sorry Misa-Misa."

_Misa-Misa?!_ I thought alarmed. _No, it couldn't be...Matsuda?!_ He sounded so sad and miserable, and so old. It wasn't that long since I saw him. Light's death must have affected him a lot. He was always so lively and animated. Already I can picture his smile and the look he'd get when L called him an idiot. Thinking about that just makes things slightly better, and at the same time it makes it so much worse.

"Thank you." I choked. "I...I understand. But, but if there is any news please tell me. And, and..." I rung off, not knowing what to say.

He really is dead. And there's not even a funeral. Nothing. As if he didn't even exist.

_What do I do Light? I'm so confused and lost. Light..._

Just come back.


	10. Chapter 10: Found

_'The Shinigami King rules and governs all Shinigami, and controls all 'distribution' of each and every Death Note given to all Shiniagami upon their 'creation'. Apart from this it is unknown what if any other tasks he performs.'_

-Light-

"I don't understand," I said mainly to myself. "I mean, how is this possible?"

"Zellogi, now. Do the job. Before he comes."

Zellogi looked at Daril. "You know, you are really annoying. Well, I'm not finished with him yet, so back off." He turned to me. "What's your name?"

How is this possible? I should be _dead_! I should be. How is this even happening? This isn't real, no, it isn't. This is some cruel trick. Yeah, some...trick...

He spoke again, slightly more loudly. "What's your name?"

But no, there's an explanation. There always is. Come on, I can do this, I beat _L_ after all, this is nothing..._nothing_...just a trick. A trick...

_"TELL ME YOUR GODDAMN NAME!"_ He howled at me. I looked up in shock, "What's your problem!"

"Argh! I've been asking your name for ages! You just kept on looked at nothing and ignored me."

"I did?"

"Yes!" He threw his hands up in the air, irritated.

I looked around, taking in the scenery. It was like a wasteland, decayed and rotten, pieces of trash and broken buildings everywhere. A vast, open, never-ending plain of filth. No greenery was to be found, and everything looked dead and destroyed. The sky was grey and looked as if there wasn't a sun behind it. Everything was clouded i darkness, my eyes hurt adjusting to the lighting. I guess it's fitting, considering who lives here.

"OK, do you even_ know_ your name?"

"What are you talking about now?"

"You still haven't told me."

"Well you haven't told yours either."

"Fine then, mine's Zellogi and-"

"Yeah, Daril, I already know."

"Well then why did you ask me for my name?" He said. "You humans are so weird!" He muttered.

"I never asked, I just stated you didn't tell me yours."

Daril still kept her distance from me, eyes filled with disgust and fear. Can't think why though, I'm not exactly what you'd call a threat. My whole head is being beaten by a wooden baseball bat, and my whole body feels like a rock- heavy and stiff.

"Can you move?" Zellogi asked.

That's the million dollar question right there. I attempted lifting myself off the ground from my sitting position. My legs wobbled, and eventually gave way, sending me crashing against the ground with a large _THUD! _

Zellogi had his hand outstretched to help me up."I can do this," I snapped at Zellogi. "I can do this." I said again, a bit more quietly, but still extremely vexed.

I tried again, and the same happened. I felt so humiliated and disgraced. I placed a hand over my face, and started to shake.

"Hey, are you..." Zellogi started. "You don't need to cry. Just...just hang on and-"

Zellogi broke off as I lifted my face and dissolved into laughter. "This is so stupid. After all I've been through. I can't even _stand up!_ Hah! What would Near say?" I stopped guffawing. "I wonder what happened." I looked over my shoulder as if doing it would allow me to see what was going on back in H.Q. But of course, it didn't.

"Do you want help?" Zellogi asked, his hand out again. Deathly pale, sickly grey, yellow nails, squinted eyes, pointy teeth, slit nostrils, no lips. Why was he was offering me help? I couldn't really decline, given the circumstances. He helped me up, and I steadied myself as much as I could.

Daril finally spoke up. "Zellogi, you had your fun. But it's time to end this."

-Ryuk-

Well, this is it for me. If only Light had died then. I wouldn't have got into all this...

What happens now? Nobody knows. Not even the Shinigami King. Though, he seems the least affected out of all of us.

"What now?"

He glanced at me. "We wait."

_"For what?"_

He gave a sort of laugh and said, "That's all we Shinigami's ever do! Wait. For what though?" He examined the wide, grey landscape. He continued, "I'd say death. But it never comes, so we end up waiting our whole lives."

"You're quite the optimist today aren't you." I said sourly.

"I like to think so."

His head swiveled and suddenly stopped. "He's here."

And just like that he stood up and walked away.

"Hey wait up!" I called after him. "And what do you, _'he's here'_?!"

-Zellogi-

"No, no way! This is the first time I've ever met a human! You are_ not_ killing him." Fury rose up within me like water left to boil. "Yes, I am. This is a crime. You know it. They could think we did this, we'd be tried, and executed. Do you want that? Do you want to die?! I don't, so for once think of others. Think about what _I_ want. _I_ want to live."

The human peered at us. "Just shut up both of you. You're like children. Just-"

Another shinigami approached us with Ryuk behind him.

What the hell is going on _now!_

"We didn't do anything, we just found him!" Daril screamed in anxiety. "We were just...It was Zellogi!" She pointed at me. "He's the one who wouldn't let me-"

"How is it my fault?!" I retorted. "Your highness, I just wanted to find out more about..." I glanced at the human. "Hey, you still haven't told me your name!"

_"It's Light!"_

I looked at him. "That's a stupid name-"

"Would all of you stop!" The king shouted. What made him this bad tempered? Usually he just sulks, pretending to be all calm and in control. What is it about this human? He's weird. He's not like us, that's for sure. But he's no human I know of; anyone else would be killed attempting to enter the Shinigami Realm.

"I brought him here, that's all you need to know." He gave a sharp stare at Light. "You. Do you know how you got here?"

"To be honest, I don't know. I really-" Light doubled over, his head in front of him, making horrific noises that made me flinch. His whole body was shacking, and he started spluttering, his hand clammed over his mouth. Red paint covered the ground with a splash over the dusty floor.

"Light." The Shinigami King said. "I'm going to say something. And it's the truth." Light looked up at him, eyes grim and swamped with pain. The king spoke in a very plain voice, "You will die soon."


End file.
